Building Autonomous Mutual Aid Infrastructure in the Wake of Hurricane Ian

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On this episode of the It’s Going Down podcast, we speak with someone from Mutual Aid Disaster Relief about autonomous responses in the wake of Hurricane Ian, which rampaged through the Caribbean and slammed into the coast of Florida in late September of 2022. During our discussion, we talk about both the response from the State to the crisis and from autonomous mutual aid groups which mobilized in the aftermath of the storm.

"When we merge the extraordinary communities that arise after disaster with a revolution of everyday life, we arrive at a space where nothing has changed yet everything is different." Via @MutualAidRelief on mutual aid organizing post #HurricaneIan. https://t.co/TlQ9lUQ3Sc

— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) November 10, 2022

Throughout our discussion, we talk about how groups like Mutual Aid Disaster Relief were able to set up a mutual aid hub, activate autonomous supply chains which brought much needed materials to communities in need, and set up mobile relief efforts that were able to go into impacted poor and working-class communities that were often looked over by the State and groups like the Red Cross.

Photo at mutual aid hub in #Tampa, #Florida set up by @MutualAidRelief. Hub is giving away free supplies to those impacted by #HurricaneIan. People have also been dropping off supplies. pic.twitter.com/IUSkBP3D88

— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) October 15, 2022

During our conversation we ask what lessons others can take away from these efforts, how autonomous mutual aid efforts have grown since the pandemic and past relief efforts, and how we can extend these windows of communal solidarity into everyday life.

More Info: Report on Hurricane Ian relief efforts from Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, MADR on Twitter, interview with MADR from 2018 on It’s Going Down, round-table discussion on mutual aid and disaster relief organizing on IGD here.